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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bank — of a river
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bass — low music
  6. spring — the season
  7. bank — for money
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bank — for money
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. board — to get on
  13. perch — the fish
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — music
  20. spring — a coil
  21. fork — in a road
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bass — the fish
  24. fork — a garden tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com